MUMBAI: What motivated you to write and produce Bastar: The Naxal Story, and what themes did you want to explore through the film?
The fact that there is unspoken terror going on in India and millions of poor people are suffering because of our ideology and the whole nexus between the left liberals in the cities who are trying to break the country and this violent arm, this combination I thought was a very dangerous combination. So, this motivated me to write this film with Sudipto and the writers. Also, the fact is that in our country, the ultimate sufferer is the poor man. The mothers are suffering at the hands of these Naxalites as they must give one of their kids to their army. So, I thought that there is a tragedy of epic proportion that needs to be told and I wanted to explore the new-age threats to a country like India through this script.
Can you discuss the collaborative process between writing the screenplay and working with the director to bring the story to life on screen?
Sudipto Sen, or, as we affectionately call him, Dada, and I share a terrific working relationship. We discuss everything and work together on all aspects, and what's most important is that I love granting him complete freedom. Simultaneously, when I offer a suggestion, he listens attentively with an open mind. This dynamic creates a beautiful synergy in our collaboration. There's no ego, no issues; we haven't had a single argument in the two films we've made together. It's been a fantastic journey, filled with fun and hard work. Our relationship has been immensely gratifying, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with him on many more projects.
Would you like to highlight the journey of the film from theater to OTT platform ZEE5? How do you believe ZEE5's platform will help the film reach a wider audience?
Zee has a fantastic reach in India and abroad. Zee, as we all know, is the number one network abroad and ZEE5 too has a very strong, captive, loyal audience. And it's growing and making huge strides in the OTT space. So, we are very happy that our film will be showcased on ZEE5, and I believe that millions of people will watch it. And the purpose of the film, which is to unearth this ugly truth, will be served in its true sense due to the great reach and potential of ZEE5
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